Illinois explores home basketball games at Peoria's Carver Arena

Monday

Jul 7, 2014 at 2:30 PM

Kirk Wessler of the Journal Star

PEORIA — The University of Illinois is exploring the possibility of playing several “home” men’s basketball games at Carver Arena in November 2015, while renovation of the on-campus State Farm Center is completed.

“They reached out to us to see what the opportunities are,” Peoria Civic Center general manager Jim Wetherington said Monday. “We’ve talked with them about available dates, but there’s nothing else to confirm or deny at this point.”

The Civic Center includes Carver Arena, which is the primary home court for the Bradley Braves and also home ice for the Peoria Rivermen hockey team.

Wetherington said those teams would receive first priority for scheduling, as existing tenants, if Illinois chooses to pursue playing games here.

Bradley athletics director Michael Cross said he is aware of the conversation that has taken place between Illinois and the Civic Center.

“Our expectation is, as the primary college basketball tenant at the Civic Center, that Bradley should have full preference and first choice on all dates and times,” Cross said.

“Second, I’d say this is a perfect opportunity for a Bradley-Illinois series, starting at Bradley. I’m serious. Any type of agreement should include a Bradley-Illinois series, and it should be home-and-home.”

The Illini will play one exhibition and four non-conference games outside of Champaign in November 2015, according to a story posted online by the Champaign News-Gazette.

Jason Lener, executive senior associate athletics director for Illinois, told the newspaper that Huff Gym on the campus has been ruled out. That venue is home to Illini volleyball and seats fewer than 5,000 fans.

No specific off-campus sites were discussed in the News-Gazette story. Besides Carver Arena, which seats more than 11,000 for basketball, other potential venues might include Redbird Arena in Normal, the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates and the iWireless Center in Moline.